I will become greenfingered!

I figured it would have something to do with elbow grease, and I agree shrub sounds a lot nicer ,

No the dogs by pass that area completely,

I'll definitely be digging in myself I should think, don't want those worms doing a half hearted job

There's no rescuing the grass then? U reckon get rid and maybe returf? Or grass seed? (If there is such a thing)

 

The worms won't do a half hearted job if you're patient but digging in will get it under way.

The lawn is so far gone it's not worth messing with to be honest. Spring or autumn is a good time to lay a new lawn. Grass roots grow to about three or four inches in depth, sorry I'm old school and don't know the conversion straight off. You can slice off the turf with a spade, dig it over and level it in preparation for turf or seed. Turf is easier and instant, grass seed will take up to three months to establish properly but does give a better finish in the long run. Whichever you go for you must water it every day unless it rains until it is established. Grass seed will not germinate in temperatures under approx. 52 degrees. There are various types of grass seed but a general purpose one will give you a normal, fairly hardwearing lawn.

 

I think I'd going for turf, don't worry I work in inches, I knew what you meant, thank you

 

Good luck with the gardening Ollie! Look forward to seeing your progress.

 

Sounds right - its the direction you are facing when you have your back to the wall.

Vegetables won't like the competition from hedge roots - where the triangle gets narrow. Should be fine in the wider bit though. Perhaps choose something that doesn't mind the competition / dryness near hedge/house walls - herbs perhaps? in the pointy bit of the triange.

I would stack them somewhere for now. You might need them for a drainage "soakaway" - if you find your garden is clay.

Its a stump from a Laurel (which is trying to grow back - so its not dead, yet). It will be a bit of effort getting it out (but I doubt you want it, on its own in a small garden its just a random bush, and they grow big and without any particularly special features as a solo-plant)

Looks like a Ribes - Flowering Currant - the sort of thing you see in fliers of cheap mail order plants. I agree, its not much cop.

The bush with lots of individual leaves on a single leaf-stem is an Elder. Almost certainly self-sown by a bird or somesuch. No merit in your garden.

I would seed it this autumn. Cheaper than turf, you get to choose the grass seed type (bowling green to kids' football pitch, and you can sow shady-mix in any areas that don't get much sun. Preparation for seed and turf is the same (in particular you cannot just put turf down and "away you go"). Turf is very environmentally unfriendly - dig up an inch of premium fenland topsoil, as turf, and transport it half way across the country ... that's not a reason not to plant it, per se, just something to be aware of

Upside of turf is that you have a green swathe quickly, and you can walk on it after a month or so. Seed-sown needs a bit longer before you can just walk wherever you like on it, but if sown in the Autumn the weeds will be shutting up shop for the winter, so the grass seed will get established during that time and then come the Spring it will look like it has always been there.

Lots of digging involved preparing for the lawn (either for turf or seed)

Digging a hole would be good. Put the topsoil (usually about the depth of a spade) to one side,a and then the sub soil (usually from the second spade's depth) to the other side. Sub soil will usually be a different colour and texture. Its likely to either be heavy clay, or sandy soil, or stony soil.

It would be a good idea to find you what the pH (Acid or Alkaline) of your soil is. Best bet is a little test tube style kit from the garden centre (don't buy a pH meter with a probe, cheap ones are hopelessly unreliable). Do you know what Rhododendrons, Azaleas and/or Camellias look like? If so checking if any of the gardens in the neighbourhood have any would be a good indicator - those three plants only grow in Acid soil. If there is a smartly kept garden nearby you could stop and ask them what sort of soil they have, a keen garden-keeper is likely to know

 

The privet hedge, I know it's there as it looks like you on a main road so provides privacy but it will hog waters so difficult to plant in front of, and spends the year being green. I would replace with either shrubs or other plants that give height to maintain privacy but with interest.

As you've got dogs when using the fish,blond and bone compound, just keep an eye on the dogs when they are out in the garden as the bone/blood can attract them to that part of the garden/plant. When planting it be worth putting something temporary around the plant, small bit of fencing, chicken wire just to ensure if the dogs to sniff they aren't going to trample the plant in the process (my two are clumsy clots at times)

I'm newish to gardening, as in yes I've had a garden for a long time, but it was min gardening I did, due to kids, work so a couple of shrubs in boarders, a hanging basket or two and some containers. Then I moved here 5 years ago garden was a completer wreck, started to sort it all out, started planning and planting then adopted my second german shepherd (5 month totally untrained pup) who became a keen gardener and miner! Tunnels in the lawn, and every plant pruned down to ground level and below with the exception of a mangy rose bush/climber thing!

Thankfully she's now matured and hates the physical work of gardening, happy to sit to the side and supervise the proceedings, then chill out on the patio step surveying her kingdom!

 

now youve mentioned chicken wire that will probably be a good idea, as my dogs are as much clumsy but nosey, and as for the privet hedges, i can do what i want in the garden, but i have to leave them, the property is rented, but we know the landlord, that was the only stipulation, other than i have free reign

both mine matured, neither dig holes now my eldest did at my cousins when we went on holiday but shes jjust too lazy now.

 

Kristen I think Ollie is right choosing turf, he has dogs and I don't think seed would stand a chance with them bouncing around on it.

 

Once new turf is laid, am I right in thinking you aren't supposed to walk on it for a few week? And if so would this also apply to the canines

 

Definitely! Can you put a temporary fence around it for a few weeks? We did this when we reseeded an area of our grass a couple of years back.

 

It is best to try and keep off it but there's not much you can do about the dogs. As long as they aren't charging around it should be okay.

 

Yes and Yes..

This is a problem I'm facing, back lawn is totally wrecked both grass and levels and having two dogs, ripping it up and relying it isn't really an option...

So I'm thinking along the lines of... dividing the lawn into 2, fencing of one side, relay the lawn here in spring, then when autumn comes fencing the other side off, relaying this part... the out come of this got to be better than the lawn I've got at present

 

HiOllie,
a couple of Winter flowering hanging baskets out the front will cheer you up - and your neighbours too. They'll love it when they start to see a transformation of the front. It is begging for some TLC...
And another thing, the back gardens NE facing right? Hanging baskets and tubs full of Begonias and Fuchsias will look smashing next Summer and they go on and on 'til the frosts,
Jenny

 

Well I was thinking about hanging baskets, I thought they were for summer only, not sure why I thought that,

I'll definitely find. A place for some flowers in the back garden

 

I think the dogs will probably be a problem with new grass (seed definitely! they'll be rolling in the mud whilst it germinates!) and turf for the first few weeks. Half-and-half is an idea, but preparing the ground won't be easy (getting a reasonable join between the two that has the same level - definitely much easier to do it all in one).

Do they need to be out there all day? or just to have a pee (i.e. supervised?) If the latter I reckon you could handle that. Their pee is probably going to kill the grass (if bitches, boys will probably pee on a bush around the edge instead), so best you supervise and then chuck a bucket of water where they pee to dilute it.

or train them to only use a dedicated area of the garden - if they will pee on a gravel area I'd train them to do that. Dog pee doesn't just kill young grass, so its a long term problem otherwise, and a gravelled area as a "dog loo" solves the problem